The Savannah Morning News on Monday questioned Emergency Management Director Ben Johnson about inconsistencies in his background – such as certifications he initially said he earned but now says he hopes to get, and educational degrees he has been trying to complete for more than two years. Small-Toney emailed City Council members Monday night to defend Johnson’s qualifications.

“I reject the notion,” she wrote, “that just because I was familiar with Mr. Johnson’s work product that he should be disqualified from our hiring process.”

Johnson on Monday initially stated he had known the city manager since applying for the Savannah job in 2010, but amended his answer when presented information that the two were graduates of the same executive leadership class in 2003. Small-Toney confirms that date in her letter to council.

Small-Toney also states: “I have full confidence in (Savannah Fire Chief Charles) Middleton’s decision to hire Mr. Johnson, and believe that he will bring a level of emergency management expertise and professionalism that has never before existed in Savannah.”

Change in title, pay

Johnson, formerly the head of Gregory Chamberlain LLC., was hired as a city employee in July.

He replaces Dave Grotyohann, whose job title was emergency management coordinator. Grotyohann earned $47,976 when he left the city in 2011.

The city, then under the direction of Small-Toney as acting city manager, reclassified emergency management positions in August 2010. Grotyohann had been an administrator. He became a coordinator. The administrator’s job was reclassified to director.

The city advertised the position for 10 days in September 2010. Johnson applied then.

The city didn’t fill the position until this June, but it never advertised after the 2010 posting.

Johnson, as emergency management director, will earn $95,123.

Small-Toney and Middleton have emphasized that the city must enhance its emergency management plans. Johnson will play a larger role in making sure citizens are prepared, so hurricanes and other emergencies and those greater responsibilities explain the increase in pay.

Middleton said budget cuts and the city’s reduction in force kept him from filling the position until recently.

While it was held open, though, Johnson, as an outside consultant to the city, earned $248,000 in 18 months to assist Savannah officials in fighting a distributor’s proposal to truck liquefied natural gas through the city.

Johnson’s pay isn’t the only benefit outlined in a letter of job acceptance sent by Middleton. Johnson also will receive a $1,500 a month stipend for his first three months of employment for residing in Chatham County and his moving expenses will be paid.

GEMA certification

A review of Johnson’s resume and city application raises questions about some of his qualifications.

Among the issues: In a resume Johnson provided to the city in July 2012, he states he earned certification as a Georgia certified emergency manager in June. That resume was provided to the Morning News in July as part of a public records request.

Georgia’s Emergency Management Agency, which conducts the training and certifies emergency managers, shows that Johnson participated only in a 2010 class that provided a 10-hour overview of GEMA’s functions.

“I've checked with our training office and we find no record of a Georgia-certified emergency management course completion by a Ben Johnson,” said Ken Davis, spokesman for GEMA.

The certification program, Davis explained, is a lengthy process.

“That’s a curriculum,” he said. “It’s numerous courses. It takes quite a period of time. You would have had some courses show up in our training database. We don’t have any information about him completing the Georgia emergency management certification in June 2012.”

When asked directly about the certification, Johnson had several explanations.

When asked why GEMA had no record of his certification, he first indicated there must be a problem. Then he said he lacked two courses. Then he said he needed a few classes.

Asked why his resume showed a June date, he said, “I’m thinking that was when I had my last meeting with GEMA on one of those courses, maybe around April or May.”

Davis, contacted Tuesday, made a second review of GEMA records, though he said he believed the first had been thorough.

“We checked numerous ways, numerous names and databases,” he said. “It was pretty exhaustive. It showed nothing at that time.”

A second review found no new information.

Johnson did not respond Tuesday to two phone calls and an email asking him whether he could provide any other explanation for the coursework.

In her memo to council, Small-Toney said Johnson has made “significant progress toward receiving this certification.”

“His personal resume was crafted some time ago, when he intended to finish those courses by June 2012. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson’s schedule has not permitted him to complete the training.”

A review of the resume shows it would have been written in April 2012 or later, because it references Southern LNG withdrawing its federal permit. That happened March 30.

Master’s degrees

Johnson’s educational background also has conflicting information.

His application states that he would receive a master’s degree of liberal studies in public administration in December 2010 from Northern Arizona University. He also lists earning a master’s degree in homeland security and emergency management from Virginia Commonwealth University, also in December 2010.

City officials responded that the application was submitted in September 2010 and Johnson hoped to have the degrees by then. In another section of the application, he does clearly state that his highest degree is a bachelor’s.

Later in the resume, he states that he has not received either master’s degree, but the homeland security master’s is “anticipated” in December and the public administration degree is “anticipated” in 2013.

He began his graduate coursework in Arizona in 2000 and his Virginia coursework in 2007.

Johnson said he has completed the courses but has to finish his theses.

The city’s minimum qualifications for the job asked for a bachelor’s degree in public administration, emergency management, fire sciences, homeland security or a related field. It also sought seven years experience in emergency management.

Johnson’s bachelor’s degree is in biology with a minor in toxicology.

He does have 11 years of experience in municipal emergency management and environmental compliance. From 2004 to 2008, he worked for the city of Richmond, Va. On his 2012 resume, he gives his title as director of emergency management. On his 2010 city of Savannah job application, he gives his title as emergency management coordinator.

Before Richmond, he worked for the city of Glendale, Ariz. He spent one year as its director of homeland security and six years in environmental compliance and management.

Since 2008, he has worked in the private sector as a consultant.

Legal troubles

What isn’t on Johnson’s resume is that he filed suit against his former employer, the city of Richmond.

He withdrew the suit Aug. 16, according to court records at the Richmond City Circuit Court.

His initial lawsuit, filed in 2009, claimed city officials made defamatory statements about him after he was forced to resign. In 2010, Johnson amended his suit to add an allegation of wrongful termination. He contends the city retaliated against him for voicing concerns about then-Mayor Douglas Wilder’s eviction of school board offices, which had been located in City Hall.

Government sources and journalists in Richmond say that Wilder created a politically divisive, chaotic administration at City Hall, and some say they recall Johnson speaking against Wilder and the school board move.

What led to his initial discharge, however, was a city audit in 2008. The financial review showed that two city employees had received duplicate compensation for vehicles, according to various news reports in Richmond. Wilder, the mayor, had been paid nearly $25,900 over about three years for wear-and-tear on his car, even though he was being driven in a city-owned vehicle. Johnson, according to Richmond news releases, had received about $16,500 even though he, too, had been issued a city vehicle.

Johnson, according to media reports, said the practice of providing car allowances to supplement employee salaries was a common practice and said Richmond officials failed to point that out in dismissing him.

In a statement at the time, he said, “I offered and I accepted a compensation package and tools to perform the job to the best of my ability.”

He voluntarily repaid the $16,500, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Council reaction

Alderman Tony Thomas said the questions about Johnson’s background “were entirely unacceptable.” He called the salary increase “highly unusual” and said it is another example of the questions being raised by some members of council about recent hires and salaries.

While personnel decisions fall under the authority of the city manager according to the government’s charter, Thomas said he believes the actions exceed the confines of her authority because it has direct budgetary impact.

“We are going to have to address these issues with the city manager before the relationship further erodes,” Thomas said.

Council’s previous attempts to learn about unusual pay increases or other personnel matters, he said, “have been met with a defensive posturing that is not conducive to our working relationship.”

Mayor Edna Jackson did not return a call to her office late Tuesday.

Alderman John Hall said he doesn’t plan to question Johnson’s hiring.

“I feel comfortable with the level of competency (Small-Toney’s) bringing in,” he said. “I think any city of our size would be fortunate to have someone like Ben Johnson.”

Asked whether Johnson’s pay raised any questions, Mayor Pro Tem Van Johnson said, “I have made my concerns clear to the city manager and my colleagues about the perception of the personnel changes and the morale issues that I believe it causes.

“It is my belief that our processes should be clear, predictable and transparent and followed throughout the organization.”

Alderwoman Carol Bell declined comment, saying she felt it was proper to make inquiries to the city manager.

Alderwoman Estella Shabazz did not return a call seeking comment.

Two other council members want the city manager to explain Johnson’s background.

Alderwoman Mary Ellen Sprague said the city manager’s memo raised questions. She wants to know what qualifications or resume Johnson provided when he was hired as a consultant “for a quarter of a million dollars.”

Alderman Tom Bordeaux said he thinks the council deserves answers because the public deserves them.

“I want to verify whether he is working toward any of these certifications or degrees,” Bordeaux said, “or whether he’s just praying for them.”

ON THE WEB

Go to savannahnow.com to read City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney’s memo to Savannah City Council members about Emergency Management Director Ben Johnson, read his application for the job and see his resume and job offer letter.